Franchise Record in Hits and Runs Highlight Hops' Victory
Hillsboro, OR ---- Nine runs in the first two innings for the Hillsboro Hops were enough to hold off the visiting Tri-City Dust Devils on a warm night at Hillsboro Ballpark.
The Hops (8-7) scored six runs in the first on six hits and three Dust Devils' (6-9) errors, and tacked on three more in the bottom of the second as George Roberts hit his third professional home run, his second in two nights, which was a towering, skied shot to right field.
Hops' starter Ben Eckels (4-5) got the win as he threw five innings of two-run baseball allowing hits, two runs and two walks while striking out four. He allowed the only two Dust Devils' runs in the first inning on three straight two-out base hits.
Patrick Smith came on to relieve Eckels and threw two innings of relief and allowed two runs in the sixth, but held Tri-City scoreless in the seventh.
After going scoreless for four straight innings, the Hops put up five runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 14-3 lead, and would tack one more on in the bottom of the eight for the 18th and final run of the game.
In the bottom of the eighth, Chase Stevens came on in relief of Smith and hurled two innings allowing one run in the bottom of the ninth.
Roberts finished the night with four hits, three of them being singles. Taylor Ratliff finished the night 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored. Randy McCurry continued his hot streak and recorded four hits and three runs batted in. The Hops won their second game in a row at home for only the third time this year. The Hops set franchise records for hits and runs with 20 and 15 respectively.
Hillsboro plays the third game of the five-game set against Tri-City tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. Be sure to catch Rich Burk call all of the live action on Fox Sports Radio 620 AM.